Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Aliyev pushes “Zangezur Corridor” at OTS
- Pashinyan pitches “Trump Route” at CIS
- Putin–Aliyev meeting eases tensions
- Armenia’s opposition gears up for 2026
Episode 478 | Recorded: October 14, 2025
Show Notes
Summary
This episode covers Armenia’s growing geopolitical balancing act as regional and domestic politics intensify ahead of the 2026 elections. Hrant Mikaelian joins to analyze Pashinyan’s “Trump Route” pitch at the CIS summit, Aliyev’s renewed push for the Zangezur Corridor, and Russia’s diplomatic recalibration after the AZAL crash. The discussion then turns to Armenia’s changing political landscape, including Samvel Karapetyan’s In Our Way movement, Arman Tatoyan’s Wings of Unity, and Robert Kocharyan’s proposal for a more sovereign, multi-route strategy to connect Armenia with its neighbors.
Main Topics Addressed
- CIS Summit in Dushanbe – Pashinyan’s pitch of the “Trump Route” (TRIPP) and its reception among CIS leaders.
- Putin–Aliyev Meeting – Russia’s renewed apology over the AZAL crash and a cautious thaw in relations.
- OTS Summit in Gabbala – Aliyev’s aggressive promotion of the “Zangezur Corridor” within the Pan-Turkic framework.
- Armenia’s Domestic Politics –
- Samvel Karapetyan’s In Our Way movement and Daron Acemoglu’s appearance at its rally.
- The entry of Arman Tatoyan’s Wings of Unity initiative.
- Robert Kocharyan’s press conference outlining an alternative to the TRIPP corridor and major economic projects.
Thoughts from the Participants
- Hovik: A satirical “rant” comparing the short TRIPP (42 km) to the longer Yeraskh–Julfa line (120 km), highlighting Armenia’s need for sovereignty and reciprocity in any transport project.
- Hrant: Warned that Turkey and Azerbaijan may later push the U.S. out of the TRIPP framework and urged Washington to understand the deeper regional interests at play.
Referenced Articles & Sources
- RFE/RL: Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine – Putin’s Apology over Plane Crash
- Yahoo News: Azerbaijan Releases Russian Journalist to House Arrest
- OC Media: Ex-Armenian President Kocharyan Announces Parliamentary Bid
- 168.am: Coverage of Kocharyan Press Conference and Political Movements
- Azatutyun.am: Reports on CIS and OTS Summits, Domestic Political Shifts
Wrap-up
Links and Resources
That’s our Week in Review, we hope you found it helpful. We invite your feedback and your suggestions, you can find us on most social media and podcast platforms.
Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.
Guests
Hrant Mikaelian
Hrant Mikaelian, a political scientist and multidisciplinary researcher in social sciences based in Yerevan. He is also a senior researcher at the Caucasus Institute. Hrant is a co-founder of the Armenian Project.
Hosts
Hovik Manucharyan
Hovik Manucharyan is an information security engineer who moved from Seattle to Armenia in 2022. He co-founded the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020 and has been a contributor to Groong News since the late 1990s.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by Hovik Manucharyan on the ANN/Groong podcast are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of his employer or any other organization.
Asbed Bedrossian
Asbed Bedrossian is an IT professional with extensive experience in enterprise IT infrastructure, IT security, enterprise applications, data center operations, high performance computing, ITSM, ITPM, and more.
Asbed is founder of the Armenian News Network Groong (ca. 1989/1990) and co-founder of the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020.